Review: The Awakening is the seventh and final studio album from The Ahmad Jamal trio. It was originally released way back in 1970, and in the years since has become something of a must-have for jazz collectors. Given that finding original vinyl copies is getting increasingly difficult, this reissue is more than welcome. Musically, it's a boisterous and hugely entertaining affair, with Jamal's virtuoso piano playing taking centre stage. With an accompanying drummer and double bass player providing steady, if unspectacular, backing, Jamal tickles the ivories like a man possessed. Along the way, he doffs his cap to a number of then popular jazz styles, remodeling them in his own image.

Review: Serious reissue business: Be With take us back to 1971 for Air's one and only album. The brainchild of Googe Coppola (who you may recognise from Fire Island or cameos with Jeremy Steig) and her partner in jazz Tom Coppola, you can hear vapour trails of the pastoral, laidback folk of the late '60s with a more forthright funk energy and jazz mindset as the lovers and their bandmates dazzle us with meandering melodies and stories; from The Doors level organ frenzy of "Baby I Don't Know Where I Love" to the galloping momentum of "In Our Time" that suddenly stops dead into an almost medieval breakdown by way of ballads such as "Sister Bessie" and Afrobeat-style horn chaos like "Lipstick", this really captures an exciting time in music and, if the music is as honest as it seems, a rather exciting time in the lives of the Coppolas too...

Review: Reissue specialists Be With have a reputation for unearthing slept-on or hard-to-find gems. Their latest 'find' is Anna's Systems Breaking Down, a fairly obscure, left-of-centre synth-pop cut that's long been a favourite with Italo-disco DJs. This 12" reissue includes both versions from the 1982 RCA 7". The A-side boasts the skewed original, where Anna O'Malley's stylish vocal and frustrated screams intermingle with sustained chords, chiming melodies and fuzzy, downtempo drum machine beats. The real killer, though, is the stripped-back flipside "Dance Remix". Boasting less vocal, delay-laden drum hits and woozier chords, it's this version that has long been a favourite amongst collectors.

Review: Cult folk funk opus from two Hawaiian sons of a dolphin whisperer, this self-titled album was written and released 45 years ago but still sounds just as calming, alluring and mystical as ever. The dreamy flutes and staggered tempo of "Wake Me In The Morning", the gutsy ballad and soaring strings of "Joe Arnold", the staccato bluesy pop of "Katy" and the positively Balearic classic "High Tide"... Moments like this will always resonate. The only album the Batteaux brothers ever released, relatively rare and prone to bootlegs, this is the first official re-release in over five years and a great chance to catch up.

Review: Seminal Manchester street soul from 96; Bovel's "Check 4 U" had anthem status in clubs and on pirates throughout the city at the time but suffered limited pressing and an OG copy has been known to be priced at 2000 quid. Revitalised by Ruf Dug and Bovel herself, it now comes complete with a superb UKG update from Metrodome which maintains the feel of the era but with the pace and punch of the times. Limited to 1000 copies.

Review: Produced and sleeked out at Opal Studios in NYC, back in 1975, Buari's self-titled LP has been a cornerstone of international highlife music since it was first released. The original is now an arduous item to find at a decent price, so we thanks the Be With label for having repackaged an essential Afro LP that is a must have for anyone into anything outside a constant beat drum. "Karam Bani" opens with a forceful helping of funk, percussive to to the max, and this same hypnotic groove formula is present across the entirety of the A-side, making this a sampler's dream come true. On the flip, "Iro Le Pa" is the stand-out tune for us, a rhythm that makes Theo Parrish's Ugly Edits seems kinda tame! Recommended.

Review: Despite her 'Working Men's Club" roots, British variety entertainer Marti Caine actually made some surprisingly good records during her lifetime. 1981 album "Point of View" is arguably the best of the lot. Caine's soft-touch (and emotional vocals) take centre stage, though it's the rather left-of-centre musical mixture below - think rock-infused cosmic disco ("Love The Way You Love Me"), trippy dub disco ("Snowbird City"), shirts-off disco ("Can I Speak To The World Please") and a string of cuts that could arguably be described as Balearic - that makes the album an essential listen.

Review: Nohelani Cypriano's 1979 debut album, Nohelani, has become something of an in-demand item since Athens of the North reissued two of the tracks last year. Here, it gets a handy reissue, so those without the desire to dig deep can revel in its' curiously unique mix of styles. Cypriano's Hawaiian heritage is represented by the strange sound of pedal steel on a number of tracks, which also feature easy listening, disco, boogie, soul and jazz-funk influences. It's a bizarre but entertaining melting pot of influences, and one that happily steers clear of kitsch territory thanks to the high quality of its' most notable moments, in particular "Lihue", "Island Boy" and the deliciously camp "South Sea Island Magic".

Review: Although the UK's Be With Records are indeed masters of reissues, we didn't really expect them to be releasing Ned Doheny material. Don't get us wrong, he is the master of blue-eyed soul in our world, and it is a surprising yet much appreciated release! This self-titled LP is the master's debut, a 1973 cross-over that has always had the diggers' panties in a twist thanks to its funky sensibility and rock-infused backbone. There's hit after hit on here, starting with the Southern-style riffs of "Fineline", and swiftly moving onto more soulful territories with the likes of "On & On" or "Lashambeaux". While his Numero reissues have been clearly disco-tinged, this album is more contemplative, more rooted in country rock and it makes one hell of a roadside companion. Recommended.

Review: Willie Hutch was just 25 years old when he recorded his debut album, Soul Portrait. While he would go on to greater commercial success later in his career, Hutch's first stab at soul success sold relatively poorly on its initial release. Ever since, the album has been in demand with collectors, so this licensed reissue is more than welcome. Sitting somewhere between the horn-heavy soul of Stax, punchy '60s funk and the Motor City stomp of Motown, the 11 featured songs put Hutch's evocative, passionate vocals and heart-felt lyrics at the centre of the action. The result is a classic soul album that has more than stood the test of time.

Review: Way back in the early '80s, Alec Mansion delivered a couple of albums that blended the sound of American electrofunk with a European synth-pop sensibility. Here, the most sought after of the two, 1983's eponymously titled effort, gets the reissue treatment. Featuring Mansion singing in French over backing tracks packed with squeezable synth bass, glistening guitars, wavy D-Train style solos, P-Funk motifs and hazy West Coast rock ticks, it's an album that should excite both boogie diggers and Balearic selectors. Certainly, there's a loved-up blue-eyed soul feel to some of the tracks, while others may notice subtle nods to classic Wings (the "Band on the Run" synth sound is all over the album) and early '80s Fleetwood Mac.

Review: Be With Records look to continue a consistent run of reissuing important rarities by unearthing this gem from Arthur Russell's discography. This debut from the short-lived New York outfit The Necessaries is a key moment in the city's early 1980's art-rock/new-wave movement. Led by artist and composer Ed Tomney and formed of members of East-Coast tastemakers such as The Modern Lovers & Red Crayola, 'Event Horizon' sounds both of its time and forward thinking - playing with angular garage abrasion, jangling oddball art-rock and pop warmth. Russell's involvement, a year after forming respected disco group Loose Joints and just prior to writing his experimental solo cello work, is testament to his broad versatility and voracious love of music. This is an essential album for both Arthur Russell enthusiasts and collectors and lovers of East Coast new wave.

Review: Freeezy does it. John Rocca's more synth-based side project Pink Rhythm continues its reissue revival with this highly sought-after 12" that's not been reissued since 1985. Peak yacht funk with all the lavish production flourishes of the era, and strong traces of jazz, each cut stimulates: "Melodies Of Love" is all about the falsettos and Balearic charm while "Walking In The Rain" is a sultry sax-blaster with some of the most powerful bass walks Beggars Banquet ever pressed. Cult.

Review: Quintessential Brit funk from 1982; Side On was a one off project from three members of Freeez and Potion, and "Magic" was unfortunately, their only official release. Cited by the likes of Dam Funk as an influence, the raw funk oozing through the mix on both versions was ahead of its time and veering towards more of a proto house sound that kicks dancefloors like a mule. The standard vocal is much more focused on Rick Clarke's strong vocal while the version goes all out with full bass runs and the obligatory saxophone solo. Abracadabra... Reach out and grab this.

Review: The recently departed Leon Ware is the undisputed king of boogie. The man has released some of the most foundational albums of the disco offshoot genre, and it's probably thanks to him that we've even got electro blasting out of speakers these days. Be With reissued his fourth LP, from 1981, the timeless Rockin' You Eternally, which is a must-have for pretty much anyone who is into ANY style of dance music. In short, it's the absolute truth. "A Little Boogie (Never Hurt No One)" is basically the tune which gave boogie its name in the first place, all bouncy and full of electronic bass, while the rest of the A-side, made up utter classics like "Baby Don't Stop Me" or "Our Time", provides some of the most driving, heartfelt disco-soul known to man. The title track, "Rockin' You Eternally" is as sensual as it is masterfully produced, but our favourite has to be "Don't Stay Away, a luscious, string-led disco monster with an early electronic edge. This is some pioneering business, right here. Elektra's finest.

Review: When it comes to prolific, few singers were as busy during the 70s as Edna Wright. Between 6680 Lexington, Honey Cone and her solo career she released six albums in seven years. This was her last of the decade in 1977 (before returning with The Cogics in the 80s) Turbo charged with disco influences throughout with strong beats, big orchestrated riffs but hinting The Corporation era Motown with hooky poppy cuts such as "Spend The Night With Me", the album's matured gracefully. With hidden funk gems such as the serious strutting action of "You Can't See The Forest" and dreamy swooning balladry of "Come Down", Edna's range is as impressive as her output during the time. Make the most of it; it's her only solo album